SAO: Shattered Perceptions
by gekkokage
Summary: Taken from the real world, trapped in another. Watch as these characters find their own Truth to live by as they fight to clear the game, and to survive in this Incarnated world.. Welcome to Sword Art Online!
1. Daisan No Me

_I was born into this world with weak eyes, so I've had to wear spectacles since I was a child. I got bullied a lot because people saw I looked different, and just didn't like it, but it was weird. I ALWAYS saw it coming, I could always tell the small things that eventually turned into bigger ones, from small comments or twitches, I would know. _

_When a beating was coming, and not just from the bullies..._

_The time before Mom said she was leaving, and Dad...  
_

_When I was going to be alone, all on my own...  
_

_To hear about NerveGear and soon after SAO, and the benefits that it gave, I was completely overwhelmed. I could see without glasses! I wouldn't have to be different! Even, if just for a little while, I could be me.  
_

_Wait.  
_

_I could be...someone...BETTER than me.  
_

_This-this could be my chance! To make a better life, to push away the loneliness, to...to...  
_

_To maybe, ya know, meet a girl or make friends.  
_

_Anything, to replace the emptiness of my own home.  
_

_[Kendan 'Daisan no Me' Harris]  
_


	2. Prologue

[Insert song: E.S. Posthumus - "Pompeii"]

Shadows danced in the light of greenish-yellow torches, casting an odd waltz over the marble floor of the dungeon. Sweat poured down the forehead of a mocha-skinned youth as they stood haggardly. A jian gleaming darkly in the low-lighting of the area as it was held firmly in their hand. Strands of silver flecked hair fell into wet tresses as the flames shimmered off of them gently, pillars hid much of the room's depth, and almost bathed the entire place in darkness.

"Damn, where the hell is that thing?!" Panicked a voice belonging to person wearing medieval armor of a oceanic blue in color. His state of fear was normal, but given the circumstances... It wasn't the best time to be getting upset.

'_Shut up! It can hear you!_' A mental shout, lost upon those around them.

"I don't know! Wait, what's that sound?" Another warrior garbed in leather and fur wielding a poleaxe shifted in their stance as they attempted to hear for whatever was creating this noise.

The sound was of humming, a steadily increasing volume of humming. Unable to locate it, it encompassed them."Oi, Thane, can you find this thing with your listening skill?"

The teen stayed silent as they continued on their task, and the dark-skinned individual merely glanced around for but a moment before his eyes shifted from a bright rust color to a mossy green. "Pursuit." the word was almost an unintelligent whisper on his lips. Though, in his investigating, he did catch something off in the distance...

"T-that's not right... That can't be, not on this floor."

The response caught the attention of a cloaked figure beside them,"What do you see, Kendan?" A soft female voice asked.

"I..I see-"

"It's above us! Everybody scatter!"

_**Rrrrraagh!**_

* * *

'_Is this how it ends?'_

Clothing covered in tears, cuts, and burns... Mentally feeling exhausted, probably from all the swords skills being used repeatedly. Crystals don't work in an anti-crystal area, so there's no way to escape. The boss comes in with a thunderous roar and a spear thrust to the side. It is narrowly avoided._  
_

_'Me, fighting alone, in a place like this.'  
_

Quickly accessing the inventory, Kendan pulls out a nodachi , and engages the lion-humanoid with fierce cry of his own. The clash knocks both opponents away, yet they regroup and fly back into the fray, all the while the silver-haired youth is gradually fleeing towards a cave to the right of them.

'_I don't want to die...At least, not here. No, I refuse to die here!_'

Blocking a double stab from the spear, the teen ran, sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him. His destination, the cave, yet he slid to a stop at the sound of a sword skill activating. Turning, he saw the form of his cloaked partner attacking the beast from the side, yet the crimson colored light of a sword skill blocked out any other sights as it engulfed his vision.

"Kendan!"

* * *

_November 6th, 2022_

_Six months after the creation of nerve gear, and another three since the beginning and close of the Beta run._

_People from all over Japan were riveted by the news that the most anticipated game of the system, Sword Art Online, was to be officially out and playable at 1:00pm. Droves of gamers, and even some regular citizens were standing in lines, hoping to be one of the 10,000 people to receive the game. _

_No one could've foreseen what would occur once those ten thousand people were logged in... _

* * *

_"Why would Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of Sword Art Online and the creator of the NerveGear, do all of this? My goal has already been achieved. I wanted to create this world and intervene in it. That is why I created Sword Art Online."_

_The silence that resounded through the heart of the Starting City was deafening, for all but a moment..._

_"Make your way through each dungeon and defeat the Floor Boss, and you will advance to the next level. Defeat the final boss on the 100th floor, and you will clear the game."_

_Then the shouts came._

_"You can't do this!"_

_"This-this is some kind of sick joke, right?"_

_"No way!"_

_The faceless GM* merely waved a non-existent hand before speaking,"If you do not believe me, take your new appearances as proof of how real this has become. Work hard, and good luck."_

_With that, the cloaked ghost vanished into the digital nothingness that was the twilight sky. Yet, that was when all hell broke loose._

* * *

_My name is Kendan __Harris__, I am a half-Japanese residing in the Saitama prefecture. I was one of those thousands, trapped within SAO, and forced to watch just what kind of place it was that drove people to the darkest corners humanity can ever delve into._

_Yet, to be honest, it was kind of worth it..._

* * *

_{A/N}: _How'd you like it? I apologize for this being a bit short, but I wanted to set up the mood correctly for the oncoming chapters. If I did ok, or not, please let me know in a review.


	3. One Truth Prevails

_I always loved the sound of rushing water._

_Not because of what it was, but, because it reminded me of home. In Chichibu City of Saitama prefecture, there was a place called Ochigawa Valley that I loved to visit. There was a waterfall that I would go by and sit near, just to hear the roar of the water as it went by, and it always sounded like falling rain. A heavy downpour during a thunderstorm, to me, was always the most comforting sound I could ever come across. It always helped me to sleep, and during those times I would often dream of being a hero; another person who would rush in saving those in need from whatever was wrong..._

_Never would I have thought of myself as a coward. Yet, it is this sad truth that tells me I am one as I sit here within the room of an inn. Where in particular? I am in Aincrad, the virtual world created by one Kayaba Akihiko, creator of Nervegear and the master of this world. I am no slave, yet this..town, if it can be called such a thing is turning into both a prison and a grave. _

_It's been 2 weeks since this wonderous game became a death race to the 100th floor. In that time, we've had nearly 2,ooo deaths. From suicide, player-kills, traps, or monsters... One truth is evident._

_Death in this world is death in reality._

_At first, I didn't want to believe it. I thought that if I went out and leveled up ya know, play the game, everything would turn out alright. Kami, was I wrong. _

_There is a stone monument located within the Town of Beginnings, it used to be in the restoration room for dead players to be return and continue playing. However, since the advent of this game's transformation, it is merely a marking place. What I mean is, every player's name is etched into this things ebony surface, and for everyone that dies their name is crossed out and given a reason beside it. I came to realize the truth through this object.._

_I was a lone wolf type, I could work with others when necessary, but I preferred to be alone. It allowed me to focus more on the mission at hand versus worrying about someone else's life for a change, since that's all I ever worried about in the real world. Now, given that type of logic, it was safe to say I became a solo player. However, it wasn't until I met a teen by the name of Yuusuke Sawada that my thoughts changed._

_You see, Sawada was the person who would be called "popular", he made friends easy enough and as such he made a decent leader. After we were given the news, Yuusuke instantly grabbed the people closest to him and told us to meet in the dungeon, including me. Out there, we began hunting monsters, and since I playing along I rapidly developed alongside my allies. Yet, there was one day that may haunt me for the rest of my life._

_We were halfway through the bottom most levels, I was around a level 7 at this time, and everybody was at similar positions. We were traveling, and came upon a Kobold wandering aimlessly, we thought it must have just respawned in this area. So, Sawada split us into two groups; Group A was to attack the Kobold, and Group B was to go ahead and scout for more reviving monsters. Surprisingly, I was with group A, and he was with B. His logic was to place the two more skilled players with those not quite on our level yet, and help them get up to par. _

_I understood, so we began attacking the Kobold while his squad went around us to go ahead. It never dawned on me why he did that until later, after the monster was destroyed. Why would he have a group of us take out one monster when we all could've headed to wherever he wanted? _

_Simple, it was a trap._

_As soon as we killed the beast, at least a dozen more spawned simultaneously, and we had nowhere to go since the monsters blocked the exit. Honestly, if it were just mere Kobold, we'd have been ok. Yet, there were Ruin Kobold Troopers mixed into the batch we were fighting. I gave orders as any general would, "Backs together, don't let them break through the line. Time your skills and switches accordingly!"_

_They did well at first. _

_Then, a Ruin Kobold Sentinel appeared. I couldn't wrap my mind around it, how did this monster come about, we hadn't seen one of these before! I tried to rally the group against it, yet it was all for nothing. It picked off whoever ran, and turned on those of us left finishing off the other Kobold. _

_I could hear the screams of those that died all too clearly, I heard the shattering of their avatars as if it were the sounds of their minds being destroyed. I-I panicked! I ran, or at least would have, if the Sentinel weren't standing in my way. The other Kobolds were gone thankfully, yet it was just me and this beast left, alone. It's health was above half, mine just at half, and chances of beating this thing weren't looking in my favor. _

_I braced my sword, and signaled the motion sensors to pick up my stance, I prepared a Slant and dashed at my opponent. I caught him, but as I went by, I felt the heat of a sword skill cutting my back. My health dropped to 35%, and I turned around and attacked again, this time with a Horizontal. Leaping back to avoid his own technique, I swiftly dropped to the ground, and rushed my enemy once more, I felt the sensors pick up my next skill so I allowed a smirk to reach my face as the light blue glow of my Rage spike came to life. _

_ If it had connected, the fight would've been over. Instead, I only felt the connection of another blow from the Sentinel, and a sudden inability to move. What was going on? I glanced into the upper left of my vision, and sure enough, there was a paralysis status attached to my name. _

_Damn, I thought I was going to die. However, as the enemy I worked so hard to kill came upon me, blade gleaming a sickening red another light seemed to flare for a moment. This light was astounding in its speed, and deadly in its precision, for it pierced directly into the throat of the beast and destroyed it with a critical hit. I couldn't believe my eyes, as I watched the user land beside me, robed in dark boots and a similarly colored cloak. The only thing I could see was the glint of silver coming off of their weapon, a rapier, it seemed._

* * *

{A/N}: Well now, hope you liked this. I will be writing the story out from the first person POV, though it may not always be the main characters view. I figured I'd go back to the stories roots as an online light novel, and see how it goes. If you like it, review! If you don't like it, review anyway! I can't fix something that I don't know is broken.


	4. Friends?

{A/N}: Here we go again, my dearest fans! Firstly, I want to thank **Diellemabelle** for their fantastic work as the Beta for this chapter, and if you like it then they will be the newest member of our SAO: Shattered Perceptions story team. Anyway, I give you the latest chappy, hope you enjoy.

* * *

_My savior was crouching beside my paralyzed form and I noticed a few strands of chestnut colored hair fall into my vision, alongside a gleam of light from under the hood. Being honest, if I could have tensed up, I would have just because of how many different ways it could have turned out..._

_A monster could've appeared before I regained motion, or in the meantime I could've been robbed. PK, also called Player Killing, wasn't uncommon in this world and had I been so unlucky nobody would have ever been the wiser._

_In other words, most of them weren't in my favor._

* * *

"Are you alright?"

The tip of a blade tapped my cheek a few times. I thought of cursing the bastard for poking me like a corpse, but that probably would only make matters worse in my mind. So, I had to settle for a sigh and a shake in the negative.

"No, paralyzed. Sorry to bother you, but do you think you could help me?"

A nod answered my request and soon I was being fed a vial of green liquid, a status heal potion. I won't lie, those things taste downright awful, but strangely remind me of mint. Either way, it served its purpose, so I have no right to complain.

A few seconds later I was up and moving again, a sensation I truly didn't expect to miss so much. First thing I did was open my menu to the light chime of bells ringing. I rapidly went through my inventory and selected a potion, and as it went to work restoring my Hit Points, or HP, I turned to my savior.

Their stance was slightly rigid, edgy even, as if they expected an attack in every corner and shadow here. A notion that could rightly be so. However, seeing that the boss was killed just moments ago, we should have a little time before its respawn. Without thinking, I blurted out,"They aren't going to respawn right away."

They turned their attention to me, and the slight tilt in their hood gave away their thoughts.

"What do you mean?" they confusedly asked. But the shake of their hood went against needing an answer. "Either way it isn't safe to be here."

I'm sure I had an incredulous looking expression, I know I did. Yet, that broke into a smile of outright humor as I started laughing a little bit. When they tightened the grip on their hilt in annoyance, I forced my laughing to die before answering,"Monsters killed in this world have a delayed amount of time before they are brought back to life, this is called a respawn. Each type of monster has its own individual speed of respawn, for instance, the one we defeated not too long ago has a much longer period of time elapse versus..the ones from...earlier..."

_I don't know why, but my mind decided to make me relive the battle right then. The fear of facing an unknown enemy as it tore through our ranks, hearing the end of all my comrades...my friends! It was becoming too much for me, their screams of horror as they died echoed in my memory louder than any bloodstained battlefield could. W-was this what Kayaba Akihiko imagined when he designed this thing!? Something even more terrible than death and its impeding threat, but a nightmare of the imagination?_

_Useless, selfish, cowardly, weak... Take your pick of any of those words, and I'll tell you that you were one hundred percent correct about me at that time. There was nothing I could do! Every body, teardrop, and dream within that situation landed on my shoulders with a weight rivaling the world upon Atlas. We were led into an ambush, no, a trap. Yet to what end, why kill so many? It was a question I wouldn't have answers to for a very long time to come._

A voice was calling to me, yet it sounded so far away, it wasn't until I felt myself shaking that reality came rushing back.

"Hey! What's wrong? You suddenly stopped talking."

Wearily, I spoke as I regained my bearings. "I'm sorry, I-I'm fine. Just a little tired from the battle and the stress."

They nodded, content with my answer, and turned to start walking. Looking around I saw my blade lying there on the ground, the one-handed curved sword, Iron Cutlass. I went to pick it up as calmly as I could, and instantly felt a hundred times safer. Not to say I didn't trust this person or anything, if they wanted to kill me they would've done it while I was paralyzed. Yet, in the face of this new world, being without a weapon was as good as signing your death warrant.

I could sense something was wrong with my temporary companion, though what it was I didn't know. Falling into step behind them no words exchanged, as we traveled, there were merely the footfalls of two people who met by chance.

_By chance..._

_It struck me as odd at the time, why would a person like this be inside the dungeon alone? Not to say it was that unusual, seeing as some of the Beta testers were the typical types for that style of play. However, it gnawed at my curiosity. From what I'd seen, this person was really agile and quick, given the speed of that fantastic linear and the pinpoint accuracy used to strike at a critical hit target while in midair. Being honest, they could've said they were a Beta and I wouldn't have doubted it for a second._

"Um, excuse me?"

A small 'Hn' sound came from the person ahead of me, and I took a deep breath to gather my nerves. Speaking to others was never my specialty,"Not to be rude, but, why did you save me?"

They halted a bit ahead of me, but I didn't understand why, it was a rather simple question to me.

"Why? I..don't really know. I saw you get struck, and thought you had died, but when you didn't break my body just moved on its own."

"I see."

_At least it wasn't pity. One of the things I learned growing up was that a man can suffer through almost anything and survive it with their head held high. Being beaten, betrayed, abandoned... These things are what create pasts for people, everyone has them, yet they don't make you any less of a person. Like scabs, if you don't pick at them, the can heal properly; even if they never fully fade. Yet pity is like a cancer, it corrupts a persons outlook, if you don't have the mental fortitude to deal with it you become just another victim... A life without living is no more than an existence, a rather shallow one at that._

Passing the rapier user, I suggested that we get going, a quick 'yes' was the reply.

* * *

As we traveled, we encountered surprisingly few numbers of monsters, and nothing on the level of the sentinel we battled earlier. The reprieve gave me time to think, about Sawada and the Sentinel, and even this mysterious warrior walking beside me. Now that I think about it, their voice was kind of different. It held a soft melancholic ring, that I if I had to assume, seemed kind of feminine.

Now, I'm not saying that women can't play this game, but in my journeys I'd only seen a few of them off in bigger groups or with friends. Never were they alone. My curiosity stemmed from the fact that if this person were to be female, why were they alone in this dungeon? Women were a precious commodity in this world, one that most naturally felt should be protected, me included. It wouldn't have been hard for her to gain friends, or even join one of the newly forming guilds I'd been hearing about.

_Thinking back, how easy some people had it in the world utterly amazed me. Especially given how dangerous the virtual reality we once thought as a game had become, but, I digress._

Unsure of how to approach the subject of my thoughts, I muttered out,"Um, excuse me again, could I ask you another question?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"A-are you a girl, by any chance?"

They jolted to a halt. Their formless cloak made the swordsman's body language unreadable, leaving me with only their speech to glean information from.

"What does it matter if I am?"

"Eh? Oh, um, nothing! Nothing at all! I was just curious. But if so, what were you doing in the lower most parts of a dungeon by yourself? Were you separated from your group or something?"

I couldn't believe myself! I not only did something truly out of character, but I was so unquestionably intrusive that it was a miracle that they hadn't walked away from me right then and there.

"I don't have a group. I'm here because I have no intention of leaving."

I was moved by her resolve, yet that answer had an alarming undertone in what it defined. I feared that given that type of mindset, this person would make mistakes, and those as a solo player were costly. I had to do something to stop this sacrificial attitude from ending her life unnecessarily.

I don't know what came over me as I kneeled down in front of her,"You saved my life, and for that I am indebted to you. Please, I wanted to say thank you..."

Her gaze remained on me for a while before she turned and began walking away from me, it felt as though she intended to ignore me. Quickly opening my menu, I selected the friends tab and sent her a request. When she stopped due to the small message appearing before her, I expounded on my statement.

"You are well within your right to turn me down, but, I would like to know just two things. First, the name of the person that saved my life, and second, what it's like..."

The hood ruffled slightly as I heard her ask,"Know what 'it' is like?"

With an embarrassed chuckle I scratched at an invisible itch on the back of my head,"What it's like to have...a friend. I don't really have any out in the real world, and, I'd like to know."

A similar window popped up before me, and I smiled as I read it aloud,"Asuna accepts your request. That's a very pretty name. Thank you, Asuna-chan, for saving me. Don't push yourself too hard, and I hope to see you outside sometime."

Without waiting for a response or even a physical reaction, I was on my way. I couldn't believe it, I had a friend! The fact that it was online over a computer did absolutely nothing to dull the sensation of joy coursing through me. As I left, a silent prayer went out that my actions aided in changing her mentality at least a little. Thankfully, since we were friends, I would always know where she was and if she was alive. I was hoping that she'd find a reason to continue living in this virtual world. I could tell that if she did, she'd become someone of great influence... If not only because of that amazing Linear skill of hers.

* * *

Since arriving back into town, and returning to my room, I decided to keep an audio log of everything that has happened. I know that chances are, no one will hear these records, and that they're purely for my own sanity's sake. However, should I die, I have arranged for them to automatically copy and send to each of the friends that I have in this...prison. Call it peace of mind, or a will of sorts.

**Dec. 2nd, 2022. 0400.**

_It's been a while since I last saw Asuna. I got worried and decided to check on her recently, and I was surprised when I spotted that she was in town! I don't know what brought her out of the dungeon, but I was glad she had found a reason to live.. I felt at the time that I should go and say hello._

Night had fallen by the time I reached my friend, she was meandering down an alleyway, headed for an inn on the opposite side. I was so ecstatic at seeing her that I once again did something uncharacteristic, and called out to her.

"Good Evening, Asuna-chan!"

Instantaneously, she whipped around and towards me in a way that reminded me so much of her signature attack. Without thinking, I reacted, sidestepping to the right and grabbing her wrist while twisting her arm behind her. I knew that she couldn't hurt me here in the Tolbana Village, but my fighting instincts kicked in for a moment. The second I realized my actions, I released her, and put a little space between us.

"Ah, you!"

I was hurt by the remark, it seemed that she didn't remember me as well as I thought she would have.

"Moh, Asuna, you don't remember my name? That hurts."

"I know your name, Kendan-san, it's just that I didn't think the person in the alley with me could possibly be a friend! I'm sorry for attacking you."

"I didn't think about it either, I'm sorry as well."

Shaking her head, she responded rather bluntly,"Well, would you like to come by? I haven't spoken to you in some time, and I have somethings to share with you."

I almost lost my composure when she asked that. Not because I thought it was an invitation for sex, but because it was the first time that I'd ever been invited anywhere, by a friend or a girl. The whole thing was surreal to me even as she took my hand lightly and started guiding me to the inn.

It was at that time time I realized something phenomenal. It was the conversational and friendly air between those who are believed to be friends, or Nakama*. I've come to understand that it was right before that inn, that a bond had been forged between us, and though I'm sure that it was on a deeper level for me than it was her at the time I feel that she accepted it as well.

"Um, What could you want to talk to me about? In any case, I'm glad that you're alive. I don't know what caused it, but I like the change in you."

She might have blushed for a moment, alongside the hunching of her shoulders and the squeak she made. Her attire hasn't changed at all, yet she seems like a completely different person than who she was in the gloomy darkness of the dungeon.

"Thank you, but if you plan on paying back your debt, I plan on making use of you. You're going to help defeat the first floor boss, there's a meeting tomorrow that's going to cover the assault party. I want you to be there, understood?"

She really had changed quite a bit. I couldn't help but nod in an affirmation, as we were reached the door of the inn. She stopped me, and as my gaze took to her, she told me four words that truly changed my view of this world.

"Thank you, for everything.."

* * *

{A/N}: Alright people! You know the routine, read & review! Leave me something that says ya care lol I appreciate those of you who are reading this story, it's your thoughts and critiques that are helping me to be a better writer. For those who show support I will do the same, I'll be adding people who make a contribution to the story into my author's note in the beginning of each chapter...it's only fair that you get the credit you deserve, especially when you're the reason why this story is succeeding or growing anyway.

Whew! I'm done. PM me if you have questions, comments, critiques, or just wanna chat! Ja'ne!

Nihon-go Corner

*Nakama- A term denoting friends, allies, or comrades in arms. It has no translation into English, and can best be used to describe a bond that only those within a particular group are familiar with.


End file.
